Letters to the editor, Huntsville Times, Friday Dec. 3

The midterm elections were a white heat of angry voters who changed the nation's political landscape against Democrats. Only one Democrat was elected for statewide office in Alabama. Republicans will control the U.S. House, will deny the 60 votes to squash filibuster in the U.S. Senate, and hold the majority of governorships and statehouses, including Alabama.

Two years ago, Republicans had a downward spiral in public opinion polls. Now they'll have a measurable part in controlling the nation's agendas through finance committees and assignments of chairs. If Republicans fail, Democrats are an election away to reverse GOP gains. The incoming GOP leaders are talking about "no compromise" of their principles with President Barack Obama and the Democrats. Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) who will be chair of a committee on oversight and government reform, speaks of seven investigative committees for 40 weeks toward the White House. Issa has been an outspoken critic of Obama and Republicans make no apology about Obama becoming a one-term president.

The Obama administration pursued no criminal irregularities in the Bush administration. In a strange way, we are usually most critical of others precisely in areas that we, ourselves, are most at fault. Even, the very act of looking for flaws in others develop the evil trait in those who look.

Isaiah J. Ashe

Huntsville, 35816

Trusted fliers

For flight security, how about this: airline-issued ID cards to trusted passengers. They would set certain criteria, and do background checks, much as the government does for security clearances. Only trusted passengers would get these cards. With a card, you go straight through security. Without it, you go through scanners/body searches. Of course there are still problems - cards get stolen, lost, etc. For positive identification of trusted passengers, maybe something like retina scans. It's ridiculous that pilots and crew have to go through scanners or body searches. If we can't trust them, we're in worse trouble than I thought.